SF school board candidates name their No. 1 issue

Eleven candidates are vying for four seats on the city’s seven-person school board, which governs the San Francisco Unified School District’s (SFUSD) policies, budget, personnel and more. (We are not including Wendy Ha Chau, who stated her intent to withdraw from this race at the District 3 supervisor debate.)

The election will take place on Nov. 5. Non-citizen parents of children living in the city are permitted to vote in school board elections and can find information on doing so here.

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The board drew national attention during the pandemic when voters, many believing the board was focusing on the wrong issues amid slow school reopenings, recalled three members in a landslide. The SFUSD now faces a budget crisis and potential school closures. We asked the candidates:

What is your No. 1 issue this election, and what do you plan to do about it?

Some candidates highlighted promoting academic excellence, addressing chronic absenteeism and increasing teacher pay as priorities. But the district’s budget deficit and management issues were unifying themes for many of the candidates.

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The No. 1 issue in any public school system must be promoting academic excellence for all kids. I’ve already done this in multiple ways, such as working with the Board of Supervisors to secure $8 million in City funding to expand a highly effective math program. To achieve the ambitious academic goals we established in 2022, SFUSD also must stabilize our finances, fully staff our schools and be more responsive to the needs of families. Our teachers’ union has created a public education pledge which I support, laying out a road map to confront these and other critical challenges.

Endorsed by: UESF

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Bring solutions that address the near-term fiscal crisis and longer-term growth. Closing schools is not the only answer; it may make things worse and drive more families away from public schools. It may also make the existing schools more crowded and class sizes even larger. If we must consolidate schools, let us do it responsibly with input from educators/families so we have the benefit of their perspectives and needs. We need to address the fiscal crisis this fiscal year and will need to make hard decisions in the near term so that SFUSD survives; costs will need to be addressed … read more here

Endorsed by: San Francisco Republican Club, San Francisco Young Republicans, Siegel+Gale President Jason Cieslak … read more here

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As a candidate for the school board, I am troubled by the high rate of chronic absenteeism affecting nearly a third of (~15,000) SFUSD students, particularly in communities of color. Research indicates that substantial absences from instructional days result in reduced learning and fewer opportunities, affecting long-term outcomes. If elected, I will focus on implementing a strong plan to address this pressing issue.

My approach includes forming dedicated school-based attendance teams to identify early signs of absenteeism and provide targeted interventions. These teams will collaborate closely with families and community partners to create a supportive and inclusive school environment … read more here

Endorsed by: Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, School Board Commissioner Jenny Lam, School Board Commissioner Mark Sanchez … read more here

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My No. 1 issue is corruption surrounding the budget & spending. I plan to resolve it by hiring finance and accounting experts and auditing tax filings, bank statements, payroll records, invoices, bills, receipts, etc., and investigating any special interest groups, such as unions, nonprofits, government agencies, or private companies that may negatively influence spending. I will make this information public, and hold accountable any corrupt organizations or individuals who are using funds illegally or unethically.

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Under regular circumstances, shrinking the achievement gap would be my top policy goal. However, considering SFUSD’s financial situation, my top priority is to demonstrate the school district is serious in remedying the projected $421 million deficit so we may avert a total state takeover. I feel strongly that the San Francisco community is best placed to decide its priorities and balance its budget. If elected, I would take office shortly after the Resource Alignment Initiative decisions will be made. Executing on the RAI plan to achieve the projected cost savings, minimize impact on families, and hold SFUSD accountable to fulfill … read more here

Endorsed by: UESF, SF Parent Action, GrowSF

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As a Latina who is the first lawyer in my family, I understand the transformative power of education in our lives, families and communities. I’m the mom of an SFUSD student and a fighter for San Franciscans. SFUSD is closing schools and is on the verge of being taken over by the state after years of financial mismanagement. I’m running to ensure we balance the budget to prioritize equity and excellence, and ensure all of our kids have the opportunities and supports they deserve. I’ll work to restore trust in and draw families back to the district.

Endorsed by: UESF, SF Parent Action, GrowSF

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Our school system is facing a devastating financial crisis driving the closure of potentially dozens of schools. With my background as an executive at LinkedIn and a board member at other companies, I have led organizations of thousands of people, successfully managed and resolved crises, and overseen organizations with very large budgets. As an appointee to CBOC, I have already found millions in potential savings for our schools, and I have found opportunities to increase revenue via fixes to our enrollment system. I am eager to bring urgently needed management and financial experience to the Board of Education.

Endorsed by: UESF, GrowSF

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My biggest goal (though it might not be possible immediately) would be to increase teacher pay and spend some money to help schools with cosmetic and safety problems.

I also have an idea about implementing an age-appropriate curriculum starting in 5th grade that teaches kids basic life skills, including topics like drug safety, internet safety, basic first aid, and important life skills like financial management and stress/anxiety management. I think kids don’t learn about these kinds of things nearly enough. Adding a class like this to the standard grade school curriculum would do a lot to help SF kids … read more here

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The No. 1 issue in this election is to balance the district budget and to not have the state take us over. I will push to have the district cut costs in the central administration and elsewhere so that as much money as possible will help student outcomes and help bring up enrollment. I will call for a forensic audit of the district spending for the past few years. I will restore the public’s trust in the school district by having the district fix its problems and be transparent.

Endorsed by: SF Guardians, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, former School Board President Emily Murase … read more here

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At a time when there is a looming self-inflicted crisis, I want to ensure the board has good governance. Ensuring the superintendent properly manages SFUSD resources, making the school system accountable to marginalized communities. The lack of accountability, and solid process, by the central staff has been highly disappointing. From the EMpower payroll debacle to budgets and allocations being done in spreadsheets, SFUSD doesn’t have solid systems. This is no way to work in any age, but especially in the digital age.

Endorsed by: School Board Commissioner Mark Sanchez

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My No. 1 issue is the budget crisis. SFUSD is facing huge deficits due to years of overspending and putting off hard decisions. Many people don’t realize how close we are to bankruptcy. The State already has the power to veto our budget decisions, and we are at risk of takeover.

Our school system has suffered from poor leadership, management, and communication, leaving families and educators in the dark about countless issues. I will insist on transparency and hold administrators accountable for presenting credible budgets; developing and maintaining critical systems; and scrutinizing every dollar spent for its impact on students.

Endorsed by: SF Guardians, SF Parent Action, GrowSF … read more here

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Candidates are ordered alphabetically but rotated every question. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at [email protected].

Read the rest of the school board questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.

You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.